Animated toy booklet



A. H. BALLER 2,740,231

ANIMATED TOY BOOKLET April 3, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 15. 1952 April 3, 1956 A. H. BALLER ANIMATED TOY BOOKLET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 15, l952 I zffor/weg/i United States atent O ANIMATED T DY BOOKLET Albert H. Baller, Greenfield, Mass., assignor to Rand McNally & Company, a corporation of Illinois Application October 15, 1952, Serial No. 314,928

3 Claims. (Cl. 46-36) This invention relates to a novelty, particularly adapted to appeal to children, and more particularly to a novelty in which an object or a representation of an animal may be caused to appear and disappear at will.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 216,057, filed March 16, 1951, now Patent 2,689,751, issued September 21, 1954-.

One object of this invention is to provide a novelty in which the end of a springy member may be caused. at will to enter into or to withdraw from an opening in a base member to which the springy member is attached. A further object is to provide such a novelty wherein means operable from the side of the base member opposite the springy member causes the end of the springy member to retract from and to enter into the opening. Another object is to provide a novelty in which an elongated flexible member, as a string, is attached to the springy member and extends through the base member with the free end of the springy member being retracted when the flexible member is pulled and being extended into the opening when the flexible member is released. And a further object is to provide a base member comprising a book having a plurality of pages, each page having an aperture therein and the apertures being in register so that a springy member attached to a page at or near the back of the book may be threaded through the apertures whereby the springy member is pulled through the aperture on each page as it is turned, simulating the jumping of a representation of a natural object or animal on the springy member to a different environment on each page and in which means are provided for causing the free end of the springy member to be projected into and to be withdrawn from an opening on at least one of the pages. Another object is to provide such a book in which an elongated flexible member is attached to the springy member and passes through the page to which the springy member is attached so that the free end of the springy member will be thereby activated when the flexible member is pulled and released.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following specification and from the drawings in which:

Figure l is a plan view of a book embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view partially broken away and somewhat enlarged of a book embodying my invention showing the free end of the springy member entering an opening;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the book of Figure 1 showing an intermediate step in the operation of my invention;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view from the bottom of the pages of the book as shown in Figure 1, illustrating the action of the elongated springy member as a page is turned;

Figure 5 is a similar view showing the retraction of the free end of the elongated springy member;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of "ice a modified form of the book wherein the springy member is attached to a page spaced from the front ofthe book; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan view of Figure 6 with a portion of the top page broken away to show the free end of the elongated springy member.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, the invention is incorporated in a book similar to that described in my aforementioned copending application.

Referring now to Figure 1, it will be seen that a book indicated generally as 10 has front cover 11, back cover 12 and a plurality of pages 13. Each of these pages is provided with an aperture 14, all of which are adapted to be in register. An elongated springy member 15 is attached to the back cover 12 by means of rivets 16. The book including the covers 11 and 12 and the pages 13 constitute the base member in the illustrated embodiment.

The elongated springy member 15 is preferably a strip of transparent flexible plastic material, although it may be a piece of thinspringy metal, if desired. While in Figures 1 to 5 and 7 I have shown the springy member 15 attached to the back cover of the book, my invention will function satisfactorily so long as it is attached to any page preferably spaced from the front of the book as shown in Figure 6. Although the springy member is illustrated, in the drawings, as fastened to the back cover by means of rivets 16,'it is obvious that any means which will fasten the member firmly in place will be satisfactory.

As explained more fully in my aforementioned copending application, the springy member 15 may be threaded through the apertures 14 in the pages 13. Figure 4 illustrates how the springy member slides free of one of the pages 13 as it is turned. After the springy member 15 is released from the aperture 14 it snaps down and overlies the next succeeding page, as shown in solid lines in Figure 4. The free end 17 of the springy member 15 preferably carries the representation of a natural object such as the rabbit 18. Thus, as the pages are turned, the rabbit follows along entering a new environment on each page.

An elongated flexible member 19 is attached to the springy member 15 at a point intermediate the free end 17 and the point at which the springy member is secured to the base or back cover 12. This flexible member, which may be a length of string or flexible wire, passes through an opening 2i) in the back cover 12. The opening 20 is placed at a point intermediate the point where the flexible member 19 is attached to the springy member 15 and the point at which the springy member is attached to the back cover. As a result, when the flexible member is pulled the free end of the springy member is retracted as shown in Figures 2 to 5.

At least one of the pages 13 is preferably provided with a transverse opening 21 which underlies the free end of the springy member. When the flexible member is pulled, it causes the free end of the springy member to retract as previously described, and when the flexible member is then released the free end of the springy member will be projected into the opening 21 as shown in Figure 2. After the flexible member has been completely released, the free end of the springy member will assume the position shown in Figures 6 and 7. Thus, the rabbit 18 not only follows the text of the story from page to page but also may be caused to disappear at will on certain selected pages.

While the opening 21 is here shown in a roughly crescent shape, other shapes such as a straight slit in the paper are satisfactory. If openings 21 are provided in more than one of the pages 13, they need not be aligned as shown in the drawings, but may be staggered. The free end 17 of the springy member 15 may be sharpened or beveled to facilitate the projection thereof into the opening 21. Furthermore, it might in some cases be desirable to provide more than one springy member so that a number of animals or objects may travel through the book.

Although the invention is illustrated here as embodied in a book, it should be understood that the elongated springy member 15 might be merely attached to a base with an opening provided under the free end of the springy member. An elongated flexible member, such as 19 could be attached to the springy member and pass through the base, the arrangement being such that when the flexible member is pulled the free end of the springy member is retracted; and when the flexible member is re leased the free end of the springy member is projected into a different environment such as into an opening.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A book novelty of the character described, comprising: a plurality of pages; an elongated springy member, one end of which is attached to a page spaced from the front of said book and the free end of which is adapted to carry a representation of a natural object, the pages preceding said springy member each having an aperture therein, said apertures being aligned with said springy member whereby said springy member may be threaded through said apertures, at least one of the pages preceding the page to which said springy member is attached having an opening therein, one end of said springy member being adapted to enter said opening; and means causing said end to be projected into and withdrawn from said opening at will.

2. A novelty of the character described, comprising:

of the book and having a free end adapted to carry a representation of a natural object, the pages preceding said springy member each having an aperture therein, said apertures being in register with said springy member whereby said springy member may be threaded therethrough and at least one of the'pages preceding the page to which the springy member is attached having an opening therein; and an elongated flexible member attached to said springy member, the free end of said springy member being retracted when said flexible member is pulled, and being projected into said slit when said flexible member is released.

3. A novelty of the character described, comprising: a book having a front cover, a back cover having an opening therein, and a plurality of pages; an elongated, transparent springy member secured to the back cover and having a free end carrying a representation of a natural object, there being a plurality of apertures in register in the pages through which the springy member may be threaded; an elongated flexible member attached to said springy member at a point intermediate the point at which the springy member is secured to the back cover and the free end of said springy member, said flexible member passing through said back cover opening, said opening being intermediate thepoint at which the springy member is secured to the back cover and the point at which the flexible member is attached to the springy member, there being a crescent shaped slit in at least one of the pages of the book and underlying the free end of the springy member, said free end being retracted when the flexible member is pulled and being projected into said slit when said flexible member is released.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 396,221 Morrow Jan. 15, 1889 693,339 Tilton Feb. 11, 1902 722,711 Jasse Mar. 17, 1903 850,150 Glazier Apr. 16, 1907 1,120,681 Browning Dec. 15, 1914 2,367,967 Schwartz Jan. 23, 1945 

